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You guys, I have been battling horrible dry, itchy scalp for as long as I can remember. It used to be embarrassingly bad. Like bad enough I didn’t want to leave the house. Lots of tears were shed over my stupid scalp. But over the years, through a lot of trial and error, I’ve found a few products that work really well at keeping the dry scalp at bay. I don’t use all three of these everyday, but I generally do at least one of them 2-3 times a week because that’s about how often I wash my hair. Which, now that I’m thinking about it, is another good tip. Don’t wash your hair too much! Sometimes I don’t wash mine with shampoo at all, I just condition the ends and leave the scalp alone. That allows more of your natural scalp oil to build up. It’ll seem weird when you first start doing it, but I promise your hair is still getting clean.

Here are the three products I use regularly to combat my dry, itchy scalp:

Tea Tree Oil Shampoo – I stumbled upon this Nature’s Gate Tea Tree Oil Shampoo one day when I was desperately searching for relief from my itchy scalp. I made a special trip to a health food store just to get it, and shampooed as soon as I got home. It made a world of difference. It didn’t completely cure me, but gave me so much relief. I usually put it directly onto my scalp where the problem areas are and let it sit for a while, then rinse out and condition like normal. Doing this a couple of times a week has made a big difference. Alternatively, you can mix straight tea tree oil into your own shampoo. Just don’t put the oil alone directly onto your scalp as it may irritate it more.

Scalpicin – I’ve been using Scalpicin for years now and don’t see myself giving it up anytime soon. It’s a liquid that you apply directly to your scalp and helps ease that pesky itch. I generally use it right after a shower. It makes makes my scalp feel nice and refreshed.

Vitamin E Oil – I’ve been using vitamin e oil on my dry face for a long time, and one day I thought, I wonder what it would do for my scalp? I apply it directly to my problem areas and massage it in, then put a shower cap on and go about my business for a while to let it have time to work. Then I shampoo it out and condition like normal. It always leaves my scalp feeling so moisturized.

Do you have any tried-and-true dry scalp remedies you use? I’m always willing to give a new treatment a try!

I’m pretty bad at doing nice things for myself. Sometimes it’s because I don’t think I have the time or the money, but I’ll be honest, a good portion of the time it’s because I plain don’t think I deserve it. Because I didn’t get all the cleaning done or get up early to exercise or eat as well as I wanted this week or returned that phone call I was putting off. It’s always something. But you know, it will always be something. Because, that’s life.

I decided to stop waiting until I got perfect before I started being nice to myself, and I kicked things off with a pretty vase of flowers next to my bed.

I think I might need fresh flowers next to my bed from now on. I love them.

And here are a few more ideas of how we can treat ourselves on a budget:

Go the movies alone. This is a lot easier if you don’t have kids, but if you can swing a free or cheap babysitter, do it! I used to think going to the movies by myself would be awkward and lonely, but I actually like it.

Buy some pretty nail polish and give yourself an at-home pedicure.

Buy a new book or check one out at the library and give yourself an hour or two of reading time.

Indulge in a meal you don’t normally get. Maybe it’s something you think you shouldn’t have all the time (hello fried chicken!) or something you don’t eat a lot because others in your family don’t like it.

Watch TV with a giant bowl of ice cream.

Take a bubble bath.

Spend an hour or two on your favorite hobby.

Take a nap!

Buy a pair or two of new panties. Seriously, I know I cannot be the only person on this planet who feels like a million bucks in a new pair of underwear.

Go for a walk. I know, exercise doesn’t seem that indulgent, but you don’t have to set any records. Go slow. Enjoy the scenery. Breathe in some fresh air. It really will feel like a treat!